An important part of growing plants at home is to protect them from the onslaught of pests that will eventually affect your home. While plants and insects often live in symbiotic relationships, pests can damage the plant and even harm you and your family. So it’s fair to question – will Raid kill your houseplant?
Raid will not kill your houseplants if you use it according to the label directions. The chemicals in Raid insect killers do not usually harm or affect plants, whether they are indoors, or outside in the garden. However, you should watch out for possible Plant Pesticide Poisoning.
While there is generally very little risk associated with the use of Raid as an insecticide, there are some considerations you need to keep in mind. Since plants are generally susceptible to chemical changes to their surroundings, there is likely to be an impact if there is misuse. Keep reading to learn more about this effect!
Is Raid Bug Spray A Safe Choice For Houseplants?
One thing any gardener or plant enthusiast will tell you – where there are plants, there are almost always also bugs. This isn’t always a bad thing. For example, bugs in outdoor gardens help to keep the plant’s pollination cycle running, and are essential to a healthy and functioning gardening environment.
However, problems can arise when the healthy flora of insects is taken over by pests and harmful insects. This can become an even more pronounced problem when you have plants inside your house. Not only will the pests be able to damage your beloved houseplants, but they can also hurt you and spread disease in your home.
This calls for the use of insect killing or repellant spray. Raid is one of the biggest types of insect killing sprays. However, if you are wondering whether or not you can use this spray on your houseplants or near them, rest assured. You can actually use the spray for houseplants without risk – if you follow the given instructions.
How to Spray Raid on your Houseplants
- Only use Raid on your plants when the air is still. Switch off any fans before use.
- Stand three feet away from the plants and use a swiping motion to spray.
- Do not coat the plants or get them wet. Instead, use a lighter approach.
- Use short bursts to spray onto the plants, and wait a few days before you reapply.
If you keep using the spray with these directions in mind, you are likely to avoid one major risk – plant pesticide poisoning. The directions allow you to apply Raid in minimum quantities that are unlikely to disrupt the chemical balance inside the plants, and will likely not harm your plants.
Always try to apply the pesticide from a distance so the amount of the spray touching your plants is as little as possible. You should also consider what plants you are spraying with the Raid bug spray. Certain plant species are more vulnerable than others to abrupt changes to their environments.
As you keep the Raid bug spray’s impact on plants in mind, also consider your own personal safety when using this product. Always keep areas where the spray was applied ventilated and do not let any people or pets enter into the space until at least 10-20 minutes pass by since application.
The Impact Of Plant Pesticide Poisoning
Plant pesticide poisoning is the term that is used to describe the phenomenon when plants take up pesticides along with water and nutrients. This can be extremely detrimental to plants when it occurs in large quantities.
That is because even though pesticides are not designed to harm plants, there is a chance that uptake can harm the delicate systems inside your houseplants. That being said, you can still use pesticides to prevent bug infestations if you use the correct precautions and follow label directions.
The potential impact on the plant also depends on the kind of plant you are spraying, as some houseplants are more resistant than others. For example, succulents, Rubber Plants (Ficus Robusta) and Snake Plants have strong foliage and can withstand pest control at larger quantities. However, plants like Spider Plants, and some begonias and calatheas will have thinner and more fragile leaves. Always check your foliage first, and proceed with caution.
You can keep an eye out for signs of toxicity after you spray your plants. To figure out if your plant has been affected, here are some telltale signs:
- Droopy leaves
- Leaf burn
- Discoloration
- Curling
- Abnormal growth
If you see any of these signs, you need to cease use of that particular pesticide and look for an option that is less likely to damage the plants.
How To Prevent Plant Poisoning from Raid
You can avoid plant poisoning by taking care of a few precautionary steps before you apply the Raid bug spray. While the spray itself will give you excellent precautionary measures on the label, you can also consider the following tips to make sure you and your plants are safe when you use any insect killing chemical:
- Make sure to identify the pest causing issues: With the knowledge of the pest, you can choose a spray that will specifically kill that pest in just one go.
- Check for safety guidelines: Before using any kind of pesticide, always check if it is safe for use. Raid is one that you can use on plants.
- Follow label guidelines: Aside from checking for plant safety, always consider the directions for the amount to apply and much more.
- Consider the temperature and wind conditions: It is always best to avoid using any kind of insect killing spray in a lot of wind or when it is hot.
With all of these precautions in mind, you can make sure that your plants stay safe even when you go through some necessary pest control.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can roach sprays harm my houseplants?
There are some options out there for roach sprays such as neem-oil that will kill young cockroaches and prevent adult ones from laying eggs which will not harm your plant. In fact, Neem-oil is another great alternative to deal with pests in your plants. However, roaches are unlikely to live on your plant. If absolutely necessary, follow all of the guidelines on the spray label to keep your plants safe.
- Is sleeping in a room after spraying Raid safe?
After you spray your room with Raid, you should wait some time before entering the room again. Once you ventilate the space and clean all the dead insects, it is safe to use the room and/or sleep in it.
- What should I do after Raid dries on a surface?
In general, once Raid dries onto a surface, it is likely to remain safe, and there will not be any odour or smell. However, if you want to remove the dried Raid from the surface, you can use warm soapy water to remove the stains from the surfaces.
Final Note
Raid is one of the options in insect killing chemicals that is unlikely to harm your plants especially when you use it with caution. We hope with this article you can easily take care of your pest problem without harming your plants!
Article references:
- https://www.raid.com/en-us/products/house-and-garden
- https://homelyville.com/raid-bedroom-safety/#:~:text=Namely%2C%20some%20people%20have%20taken,indeed%20be%20harmful%20to%20humans.
- https://www.pest-ex.com.au/blog/what-to-do-after-having-pest-control-sprays/#:~:text=Once%20the%20product’s%20dry%2C%20it’s,no%20airborne%20reside%20or%20smell.